


Strategy

by Arkanna



Category: Xiaolin Showdown (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-03 09:03:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10964043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arkanna/pseuds/Arkanna
Summary: Chase presents a puzzle.





	Strategy

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Xiaolin Showdown or any of its characters.

Chase slowly materialized out of the shadows and observed Jack working on his newest project. It was rough and looked to be in the planning stage, probably one of many prototypes. He folded his arms and smirked.

“Spicer!”

Jack jumped from his chair, arms flailing and fell over backwards with a piercing shriek, landing flat on his back in front of the warlord.

“Ch . Chase?” he asked somewhat fearfully, meeting his golden eyed smirk from a very undignified position.

“Strategy is an integral part of any plan. Recognizing points of weakness and developing contingencies for every possibility key to success. While your planning has improved, I still find it greatly lacking,” Chase remarked, walking towards the door, his hands behind his back.

“I will be waiting for you in the library,” he said glancing over his shoulder.

Jack stumbled to his feet, “but Chase,” he whined.

The warlord merely quirked a brow before vanishing.

“You said training was over for today,” Jack grumbled, wiping his greasy hands before grabbing his jacket.

 

Chase was seated on the floor before a short table covered in small black and white disks. Jack gave him a curious look as he entered the room.

“Have you never played weiqi?”

“Go? Um, yeah, but that's not what I was expecting,” Jack mumbled as he approached slowly. The goban was obviously quite ancient and very carefully preserved. Chase motioned for him to take the opposite seat.

“It is an excellent way to develop strategy as well as learn to anticipate your opponent's next move and improve your ability to see the larger picture. Weekly games will become part of your training.” He narrowed his eyes, “You seem a bit . . . confused.”

Jack had been eyeing the goban, wondering why the warlord suddenly wanted to play games. He glanced up at Chase's comment, “I've never played a full game,” he admitted.

Chase nodded in understanding, “there is no difference in play between smaller and larger boards, only a greater intricacy and potential.”

Jack took the proffered seat and studied the board carefully then looked at Chase, waiting.

“There are five moves left in this game,” Chase remarked, taking a white stone from it's bowl and placing it on the right star point on Jack's side of the board. “Play the ko,” he instructed.

Dutifully, Jack placed a black stone and took the one Chase had just played. Chase responded by placing a white stone at tengen.

“The next stone decides the game. I will leave it up to you to find the correct move,” he said, rising and moving to leave, “you may take as much time as you require.”

“If the next stone decides the game, what is the purpose of the fifth move?”

“It limited the damage to a single point of victory,” Chase replied, reaching for the door.

“Did you get this out of a book somewhere?” Jack asked idly, scanning the board, calculating territory and any prisoners, realizing there was more than one ko and the further complications they represented.

“No, it was a game played by Huang Longshi.”

Jack paused, “I remember reading about him somewhere. Wasn't he like one of the greatest go players or something?”

Chase seemed contemplative for a moment, “Indeed, I believe he was. As I said, take your time. That particular game took several days to complete. He was quite the formidable opponent,” he remarked with a rather self-satisfied smirk.

It took a moment for Chase's words to sink in. _Quite the formidable . . ._ The door snicked shut just as Jack jerked his head around, but Chase was already gone. He sat stunned for a moment before his brain managed to process thoughts again. Turning back to the board, his task seemed much more daunting considering who the players had been. Idly Jack wondered which of them had been victorious.

 


End file.
